from the PHHA /Harrah’s Philadelphia
Chester, PA — Windsun Glory, a mare looking to be on her way to better things, posted her second straight victory at Harrah’s Philadelphia on Friday afternoon (May 4), posting a clear victory in the $18,000 distaff pacing mares feature at the riverside oval.
Driver Yannick Gingras moved the Mach Three mare to the lead in front of the stands and held sway from there, stepping home in :55.2 to equal her 1:51.3 winning clocking of last week. Princess Fabulosa, beset by almost every form of bad racing luck known to man and horse — a second-tier draw, early interference, a shuffling to last, a three-wide move most of the backstretch continuing to two-wide on the turn — still came on to be a very good second, 2-1/4 lengths behind the winner.
Ron Burke, the leading trainer at the young meet, conditions the winner of $260,665 for Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi, J&T Silva Stables and Lawrence Karr.
Windsun Glory went over the quarter-million dollar plateau winning last week; the Camluck mare Cousin Mary did it today ($250,240) in the $14,500 distaff sub-feature, and she went even faster than Windsun Glory, taking a new mark of 1:51. Corey Callahan, who like Tim Tetrick had three sulky successes on the day, reserved Cousin Mary off a contested pace, made one decisive backstretch brush to the lead, and then left the field in her wake for trainer Andrew Harris and owner Jeffrey Williamson.
A special Kentucky Derby Saturday card will be featured at Harrah’s at 12:40 p.m., with the inaugural events of the summer-long $1.8 million Great Northeast Open Series headlining — a $30,000 trot with the likes of Rock Of Cashel, Opulent Yankee, and Melady’s Monet, and a $30,000 mares pace including Nike Franco N, Lispatty, and Darlinonthebeach.